When reviewing photos and sketches from varied cultures past and present, one characteristic that stands out about humans is hair. Customs regarding hair care and appearance vary widely and wildly from location to location, and era to era.

The men in parliament and congress past wore their own hair, or wigs, long and primly curled. American men during WWII wore buzz cuts; during the Civil War, many pictures show men with hair untended altogether. Some times and places, women are expected to cover their hair, usually with cloth or veils. Some women in Africa wear wraps of colorful fabric around their heads.  Scarves or babushkas were once popular in the Ukraine, Russia, eastern Europe. There are the starched Dutch ladies' caps with little wings. The long draped scarves for Islamic women at times are hotly debated.

Women have worn their hair piled neatly atop their heads, or flowing down, unkempt. There are braids in Germany and among the native peoples of the American continents. Afros and dreadlocks, as do oils and dry looks. Helmet shaped hairdos come and go among men and women. Some styles take hours to prepare; some are spit and go. Some cultures remove sections or all of their hair. For example medieval monks wore a round bald spot atop their heads. Much time and debate focuses on hair issues, what is acceptable, what is not. One year the women here are curling their hair using 'permanents'. The next, we are ironing it straight as a board. Short hair for men in some decades was preferred within Christian, conservative groups, yet Christ is always pictured with long hair. The Biblical story of Samson and Delilah is a curious one, as thought there were some power lost in the cutting of Samson's hair. Some people like spiky hair, multi-colored hair, humorous hair. Grey hair can be a sign of dignity and wisdom, or 'over the hill'.

The way hair is worn communicates messages about our genes, who we are, and when and where we have lived. It can communicate our occupations and something of our personalities. There is a surprising amount of fuss over who wears their hair this way or that. Some people will not come out of their homes if their hair is not just so.

Do we tend toward prim or alluring?
Rich or poor?
Regimented or wild?
This tribe or that?